The Race - Ironman Lake Placid 2012

2.4 mi Swim - 112 mi Bike - 26.2 mi Run

It all started at 4:45 am when my alarm went off. I didn't sleep much but felt awake and alert. I laid down at about 9:30 the night before, but just wasn't tired. All of the rest i had been getting the few days prior, with no exercise to tire me out, had left me with tons of energy, lying there awake. At 12:30 am i got up and had 1 Benadryl. This is not something i have ever done before a race, and it was definitely breaking the golden rule of don't do anything different before race day, but i had to get some sleep. I think it helped because the next 4 hours i drifted in and out of sleep.

So we were up and walking to the transition area by 5 am. I drank a half of a cup of coffee and ate a half of a muffin and that's all i could stomach. i felt full. I had stuffed myself the entire day before in preparation of the race. we got to the transition area and filled up our bike tires (where they sat inside the olympic oval in anticipation), then headed to Mirror Lake. To be honest i wasn't nervous, i had the mind set that i was going to take it easy, have fun and finish the race. We came out to New York for this race, I was going to bang it out and that's how it was gonna be. The distances weren't intimidating, I knew i could handle them and that's it.

They say "Think of it as a long, supported training day with 2000 of your friends"

Before we got in the water I ate 2 Gu's. I remember feeling hungry at that point too, kicking myself that i couldn't get more in my stomach; it may have been nerves. So we enter the water and swim across the bay to sit on shore until the race was close to starting. The water was packed. My dad and I waited while someone sang the national anthem.

At that point we hugged each other, said I love you and then at 6:59:50 I floated into the water towards the start line. At 7:00:00 AM the cannon went off, and the mayhem began. At first it wasn't so bad...but it got worse. There were people everywhere, kicking and slapping all over the place. Anytime i popped my head up to try to find an open gap to swim in I could see there were people surrounding me for as far as i could see, with no open spaces or gaps. I did my best to focus, and just keep swimming. That is a mistake i had made before, is letting the chaos distract me and then slow me down.
I just kept swimming, when would run into someone, try to find a little gap, swim to that one, run into someone, find another gap, and so on.

About half way through the first leg of the swim i heard screaming...alot of screaming. when I popped up. I heard "help, swimmer down!" There were at least 50 people that stopped and were screaming at the top of their lungs. At that point i could see the swimmer being held up by 3 other swimmers, he appeared to be unconscious, on his back, head tilted back and he appeared limp. That's when I started screaming. screaming for a boat, kayak or paddle board. Through my foggy goggles I could see a kayaker on the inside of the swim course loop looking around confused. He could hear something but from his position so low in the water he couldn't see what was going on. The splashing was so loud from the swimmers that he couldn't figure out what was going on, plus he had hundreds of swimmers in between him and the downed swimmer. After what seemed like 5 minutes of screaming the kayaker was headed over. I took off and kept swimming at that point, not sure if the swimmer was dead or alive. Hoping they were okay I tried to refocus on swimming, and regain my motivation, which proved very difficult. It left me wondering what happened to that person. I knew it wasn't my father due to the color of his swim cap.

So i rounded the corners and was headed back; space opened up a little bit and i found my ryrhm and relaxed. I got to the turn around ran out of the water and right back in. I was feeling good, relaxed, heart rate wasn't too high, I felt like i could swim all day :)

I swam another loop in a good rhythm, staying to the outside to keep out of chaos. I felt good. When i got out of the water i was relaxed, the clock read 1:19. i was happy with that time having not pushed myself in the water. I striped my wet suit off and began a slow run up the beach which was a long transition run. The spectators were going nuts. I was smiling and ready for transition 1. I ran up to my bike gear bag and started pulling my stuff out and changing...when I was about done a volunteer informed me there was a changing tent I was supposed to change in. :) whoops. To get to my bike and out to the course I had to run through the changing tent, which was pure chaos. I was happy to be able to run through and skip it. I grabbed my bike and was off. Feeling great! I saw my
 Mom and aunt Ginny on my ride out of town, which was really nice to hear them screaming my name. It's amazing how i can pick my mother's scream out of a crowd of screaming people. :)

I knew i needed to take it really easy on the bike. The first  10 miles had a decent climb so i took it nice and slow. Then came the screaming decent into the town of Keene. I maxed out at 46 mph...which is the fastest I've ever gone on a bike!!! wow! i was still getting passed too. After the decent, there are some flats that we had some tailwind on, those felt great, felt like i was flying. The last 25 miles of the loop is all climbing, I felt like I wasn't pushing it too hard and was passing people and keeping my heart rate low (mostly below 150). I was eating 1 Gu every 30 min, 1 endurolyte tablet every hour and eating bonk breaker bars and pro bars every chance I got. I was consuming over 400 calories per hour. In my research, people are supposed to get 200 - 300 calories per hour.

When i got back in to the town of Lake Placid, I was feeling really good.
I stopped for my special needs bag, which I placed a peanut butter and honey sandwich (bees knees local mpls honey....thank you Kristy) As i rode through town and tried to swallow the half  a jar of peanut butter I smothered my sandwich with, the spectators were going crazy. I saw my Mom and aunt Ginny again and waved to them. It just so happened that when i waved the crowd went nuts. Hehe

I then started my second loop. Feeling great. I knew i still had to take it easy...I had a 56 mi ride (most of it climbing) and a marathon to run. hehe.
I had hit my 56 mi split at 3 hours ...which was really good, ahead of schedule for my goal. So i knew i could slow down and do the next loop in 3.5 hours. I kept riding and kept up with my nutrition plan, ahead of my nutrition plan actually. At the aid stations i would swing in,  catch a water, gu and bonk breaker bar and keep riding, with out stopping or getting off my bike. I hadn't even gotten off my bike to stretch or anything yet.
It was at mile 80 that i started to feel the fatigue. My stomach was starting to hurt and Gu's were beginning to taste like rancid snot. A few times i caught myself riding too fast in the flats. My legs weren't tired, they felt good, but my energy level was waning. I took it easy on the 25 mile climb into town, and thinking back I'm glad i did. If i would have kept pushing it I would have paid dearly at mile 3 on the marathon.
Pulling into town, It felt good to get off the bike. I wasn't completely sick of the bike but glad to get off and run. The bike aid stations had been great. Volunteers would hand you anything from Gu's to bananas to water bottles, I don't think i missed a hand off once.

So on to the run...at this point it was 3 pm, the hottest hour of the day. I began my marathon at exactly the time i wanted to. My recently acquired exercise induced asthma had started acting up around mile 90 on the bike, and I was really starting to feel it. I was running at a good pace but my stomach was starting to hurt really bad; it was more than my stomach too, my insides were in severe pain. I couldn't eat anything solid and Gu's were starting to not be possible to eat. I made it one loop, stopped at my special needs bag and changed my socks, the ones i wore were soaked from putting ice in my hat and cold sponges in my shirt. When i sat down to change them was when i noticed how bad my legs were cramping, I've never had cramps like that in my life. 

From there I got up and carried on...i was feeling worse and worse and stopping and walking frequently.

Around then a middle aged man passed me, and said "Wow,... 28 and gonna be Ironman, ....wish i woulda done that"

I was extremely surprised at my response, but it went like this:

"yea if i make it"

he shot back "Don't even say that!"

That should be a testament for what was coming next, and how i felt.

When i think about that memory, i am very thankful for that man.

It was about then, at about mile 16 when I stopped, i was dehydrated, at severe caloric deficiency, and was having a hard time breathing with my asthma.
I felt like I couldn't walk,
I felt like i couldn't stand,
I was on my knees heaving, in the ditch... surrounded by a beautiful field of horse pasture, surrounded by the gorgeous Adirondack mountains. The horses had seen this before, the other athletes as well. Everyone knows, the ditch is not the place you want to be. Coming out of the rhubarb is even harder, regardless of the sport, that is not where you want to be.

At that point I was in a world of hurt. My vision was construed, and i was not sure i was going to finish the race. i was not sure i was going to live.
I thought i was going to die -  and I'm not kidding.

With the heat is beating down on you and you feel like you can't walk, you feel like you can't stand, you feel like you can't breathe, the next stage, naturally would be death. If there is no going further, returning to the dirt is next.
I was expecting to feel like i may die during this race....(ha! I came prepared. hehe)

But I was not expecting to doubt myself.

My mouth felt like a desert. I thought I had no nutrition on me until i stuck my hand in my back pocket and pulled out a blueberry roctane Gu. I knew then, that i was getting enough electrolytes but not enough calories. My stomach hurt so bad I didn't think I could eat anything. I knew i was going to have to force something down, that was not going to be fun. I knew one thing, I was not going to turn around, I pulled myself up, and I walked toward the next aid station, over a mile at that point, taking little drops of the last Gu I had, gagging each time, but feeling a bit better. I knew when I got to the next aid station i would have to force some food down. I got there and looked for what i thought had the most calories per volume, which was a chocolate chip cookie and some pretzels.
Now most people that know me, know that I LOVE chocolate chip cookies, but during Ironman, no way, they were hardly palatable.
I took a bite of the cookie and gagged, my mouth was still like a desert. I was able to keep everything down fortunately. It was just after then, that I started to feel better, actually i felt AMAZING. i couldn't believe how quick i popped back. Before i knew it i was running again. i also succumbed to trying the chicken broth on the course, which i thought would be terrible, but a volunteer convinced me to try it.

The chicken broth was actually really good and proved to help. Onward i ran feeling better and better.... i felt like i had a whole new life in me. I felt amazing, i knew i was going to finish Ironman, and i was going to feel good at the end of the race, and not need medical attention. I had pulled an entire 180. I was alive again!

I caught alot of people that had passed me..

So i was chattin it up with quite a few people on the course...i told probably 15 people..."ya know ....back there when i was in the dirt...i thought i was going to die! I really did...turns out if you can hold some food down, it really helps." ... i ran and did not stop. There are 2 big hills going into town, both equaling almost 300 feet of climbing...i ran up them both...at the end of Ironman. No one else was running up them. I felt so good ...I was about to finish Ironman! I made it into town and when i was turning the corner i saw Steve. i yelled " keep it up, nice work Steve Berg!" He was about to enter the oval and finish. So i knew John was not far behind him, and i only had 2 miles to go. Faster i ran, harder i pushed. The last 2 miles were an out and back. I knew i would see John somewhere close. Finally i saw him, he was walking, and he didn't see me when our paths crossed! So i ran to the turn around and headed back towards to the Olympic oval. About 1/2 mile before the finish I saw John, ran up on him, gave him a tap on the shoulder and yelled " I got my second wind!" and kept running, I wondered if he would try to catch me, but i had a good lead and i was moving. I entered the oval feeling great, I crossed the finish line at 13:09:00 and yelled out a big Whoooo! 2 volunteers immediately grabbed me by the arms and escorted me towards the food and water. One of them stayed with me for a bit, tried to talk me into one of those metal blankets (which i can't stand) and then let me go.

Then the eating began....fruit, sandwiches, pizza,
In the morning i ate 2 huge omelette's, tons of veggies, a pile of potatoes and bacon and sausage.
Took a nap, got up, ate a huge salad and some Guinness,
Took another nap, got up ate an entire pizza, drank more Guinness
Wow

Unforgettable experience

:)

Yes, I will do it again

I will never stop pushing myself

Ironman bound

Well,

its here... 51 weeks ago we all signed up for the most challenging thing we have ever encoutered. And now its here. i can say with confidence i am ready. ive been training for 9 months and i am ready. in the past year i learned how to swim with efficiency, and i love it. 1 year ago i did not know how to swim, that is important to remember. it feels so good to move through the water like a fish....instead of like a gasping chicken doing the crappie flop :)
were on the way,  in a really nice camper. a totally sick camper actually...

106 + 17

Well,

After the Liberty Tri, I am 5 weeks out from IRONMAN LAKE PLACID! Which really means 3 weeks out from tapering down. Not alot of time. The first weekend after Liberty, Dad and I went for a 106 mi bike ride in the hills of western Wisconsin. Total elevation gain 4500. That's right where we need to be for Lake Placid. The ride felt great, we stopped in Maiden Rock, WI for quiche and coffee and saw thier Veterans march down main street in a parade. During the last 5 miles of the ride we got rained on pretty good.
Then on Sunday, I got out for a 17 mi run! I ran Minnehaha creek to Lake Harriet, around Lake Harriet and back home. Felt great. legs were fatigued but overall happy with a successful weekend.

106 miles is the farthest i've ever biked in a day and 17 miles is the furthest i've ever ran in a day...:)

Liberty Half Ironman 70.3

Liberty Half Ironman!!

What a race! I finished in just under 5:20! Which i was very happy with...all things considered. The heat was 92 degrees. The humidity could have been cut through with a butter knife. The swim went mediocre, 39 min. I got very distracted on the swim with getting kicked a lot. I need to learn to ignore that and keep swimming instead of popping my head up. The bike course was great, rolling hills. 2:47 was my time. 20 mph average. I didn't push it too hard on the bike because i wanted to have a good run...The only people passing me had race wheels and aero helmets, so i was happy about that. Then the run came. The first 7 miles i felt great. After that the exercise induced asthma kicked in. The humidity was restricting my breathing quite a bit and reduced me to 3 miles at a 10 min pace. WOW...i went from running 7:30's to 10. I was not getting enough oxygen, and i was too tired/zoned out/full of endorphins/numb to recognize that myself. I still finished strong with a 1:50, but at the finish line i was in rough shape. My lips turned blue! Almost entering the medic tent, i recovered after about 20 min of catching my breath. Once i popped back i felt great. During the recovery time I did not realize i was not getting enough oxygen. LESSON LEARNED!! Take deep breaths even if your lungs are in pain.
It's amazing how each race is different and you are faced with new challenges.

I saw alot of friends on the course. What a great weekend! Thank you to everyone who shared it with me.

100 miler!

100 Miles! Prescott to Nelson! Fuck Yea! What a great ride, we stopped in Maiden Rock (x2) for Quiche and Turkey sandwhiches. I felt great after the ride, I could have kept going, it was a blast. We chatted with an 80 year old woman (tough bird) who was selling vegetables from her garden, and aprons that she made, beautiful vintage fabric. We are going back this weekend and I'm hoping she will be there again. Stand by for photos. Sunday i ran 11.5 in the morning This weekend was a serious confidence booster. I'm feeling great about upcoming races. The past couple weeks i had some concerns...still have some...But last weekend was exactly what i needed. Also May Day was on Sunday. My Black Cherry apple cider (5 gal) did not last long. Yum. We had a perfect day for it. What a great weekend. Lots of gratitude for the people in my life. :)

Minnetonka 1/2 Marathon

Well, I ran Lake Minnetonka 1/2 marathon for the 3rd year in a row. I was not expecting a PR. But i did it! 1:33! On a slightly hill course! It was such a great race! Perfect running weather, we were supposed to get rained on but it held off. I stuck with the 7:15 pacer for the first 10 miles, Wanting to pull away at every mile marker...but held off until mile 10. Then peeled out. Not sure how fast i was running the last 3 miles, but final pace was 7.09 min/mile. So it must have been 6:45 or so. I should have taken off at mile 8. It was so fun! I almost puked at the end of the race. I finished 117th overall, top 10% in my age group! It's amazing how you get faster and faster, the more miles you put on. I'm excited to continue to break my PR's. The Monster Dash will be a great opportunity for that.

Turn it up

Well, As if training hasn't been serious for the last 6 months, it time to turn it up. Really turn it up. Next week were gonna ride 100 miles, in the hill in Prescott, WI. At this point I need to be swimming 3 times per week, Riding at least 1 huge ride per week, and one long run per week, and a bunch of shorter stuff/speed work in between. My day off right now consists of biking 10 miles... I'm hoping next week to get in 17 hours.

Insight Gained

Well, I had kind of a wake up on Sunday...Ironman is 12 weeks out!!! Holy Shit! :) Something kind of hit me...9 months ago, I thought, as training gets more intense and we get closer to the date, I'll feel better and better about the race, I'll gain confidence with my strength and ability. I thought as the race gets closer i'll think, no problem, i got this.... Au Contraire... As we get closer to the race i've started to learn and gain insight into what i really got myself into. As your training gets closer to Ironman distance, you start to really understand the potential severity of this race and what it's really gonna be like. You start to gain a valid and acurate understanding of it. I believe that insight and understanding is not possible with out the actual experience. There's a wide mix of emotions. Excited, nervous, giddy, and i'd be lying if i said i didn't feel the slightest, smallest moment of fear, while watching an Ironman video the other day. That is something, that is new! A few months ago i didn't experience that. Fear is something that i experience rarely. It was just for a second though.........hehehe :)

Update!

Well, It's been about 2 years since my last post...Of course a lot has changed...I finished school. Got out of the restaurant business, got a job with a behavioral health company, have learned a ton through work and more life experiences. Also got REALLY into triathlons... Did my first sprint tri last year, then a half iron, then the next day signed up for Ironman Lake Placid. So the last 6 months of my life has been consumed with training... learning how to to swim has been a lot of fun... once you realize that you probably will not die while swimming (in a pool)... it's not so bad. Hehe. I actually have really fell in love with swimming. It's a lot of fun to shred water. Last year at the end of July, during my 70.3 distance race, i could not swim the 1.2 distance freestyle. I had to turn over on my back and do the back stroke, (which by the way, i also did not know how to do..) But i at least had my head out of the water and could breathe, I couldn't steer (which presented a whole other problem), but i could breathe.... . No joke, i was doing everything wrong...EVERYTHING. Breathing wrong (yea, how can you breathe wrong?), kicking wrong, my stroke was wrong....I might as well have put my wet suit on upside-down, and my goggles on backwards and tried swimming... So the last 6 months i have been swimming a minimum of 2 times per week. I haven't missed a swim class since Oct. I have learned how to swim!!!! I still have plenty of areas to improve, but i'm not flopping around like a dying fish anymore. I recently realized that i NEED to be writing more, especially during intense training like this. This is when insight is gained. A bit more on training. Up until a month ago or so, it wasn't too bad... not too hard, or grueling. Last year, training for half iron distance, was nothing like this...I have never felt my energy be so depleted; my muscles have never been as sore as they have been the last 2 months. But it's a good sore. I'm missing traveling... This winter was the first winter i haven't got out of dodge for a bit. Which was ok, the winter was very mild, It's also a good reminder of how lucky i am to have been able to get out for a bit each year. Some might say I'm kind of a spoiled little shit like that. :) I believe i'm grateful for it though. It's all about making things happen, and anyone can do that. Another thing that has changed my life for the better is something called Heath Realization or the Three Principles. The principles explain why our perceptions appear so real to us, and a lot about our perceptions of our own reality. This is a subject i've been very interested for a long time, and somehow i landed a job that i get to teach this stuff. I really haven't figured out how i ended up with the job i have, i feel like i sort of gravitated to it. When i was going to school i had absolutely no idea this is what i would be doing. I'm not sure if that is luck, karma, good fortune or good unconscious planning, but it worked out, in my favor. Yet another reason why i believe i'm a very lucky person. This may sound like ridiculous, hippy rhetoric, judge it as you like, or don't... maybe just let it be. Consider this: What would it be like ... to let the world be... instead of wishing things were different, instead of straightening the picture frame that is crooked, instead of trying to control what others do or say, or judging what they do or say, just accept them as they are. Let it be. It can be very relieving to let that stuff go. You can't control what people think, no matter what they are going to have their own perceptions, regardless of how hard you try to affect them, They will always have their own separate reality. Anyways... enough of that, otherwise life is good here. I look forward to what future experiences may bring. Like crossing the finish line of at Ironman. I'm pretty sure my perceptions at that point will be very interesting.